Promoting the Protected Characteristics and Equality at WPA

 We work to ensure that our children understand that:

• There are no outsiders at WPA
• Everyone is different and unique
• We celebrate our differences
• We are all equal

The Equality Act became law in 2010. It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Everyone in Britain is protected. This is because the Equality Act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have. Under the Equality Act, there are nine Protected Characteristics:

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Race
5. Religion or belief
6. Marriage or civil partnership
7. Sex
8. Sexual orientation
9. Pregnancy and maternity

At WPA, we actively promote these in our curriculum and work to embed them into our ethos. (See PSHE Jigsaw table below for how these are taught within PSHE Jigsaw lessons and beyond).

 The 9 Protected Characteristics and the Equality Act are actively promoted at WPA through:

• Our school vision and ethos statements, our SDP and our curriculum.
• Our school core values
• Our school behaviour policy - Our robust behaviour policy clearly lays out our expectations and behaviour management, showing respect for their own and other cultures
• Conscious role modelling by all adults in the school community
• Active engagement and communication with parents and carers
• The use of other agencies and services where necessary e.g. translators
• Assemblies
• The promotion of British values in school life
• Developing a love of reading through a range of authors and genres
• RSE lessons, as well as taking the opportunity to model respect and positivity in all lessons.
• Promoting articulation by building appropriate language and a coherent vocabulary
• Religious Education lessons - during their time at WPA, children cover all the major world religion. These are taught with the understanding that we celebrate and respect all religions and their principles.
• Themed weeks and days around school where different cultures have been celebrated.
• Faiths taught through RE, and constant reminders during lessons that everyone’s religion is to be respected and appreciated. An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
• An acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour Modelled and taught within RE lessons.
• Every member of the community knowing that whatever they report it will be dealt with appropriately and followed up
• Visit from the Mayor of Wantage, and our local MP to discuss local and national issues.
• Links with local care home – creating collage displays for local care home
• An understanding of Equality, Human Rights and Protected Characteristics through our PSHE currciulum
• Sporting competitions (Wantage Inter Schools Partnership)
• Both within school and outside of school, varied competitions are organised by our PE lead and PE coaching team
• Art projects, exhibitions, music concerts and visits
• School Council and Eco Council
• Educational experiences and visits, including residentials
• Real-life learning outside the classroom
• Visitors and speakers
• Links with the local community and linked events
• Extra-curricular activities, after-school clubs, charity work and work within the local community
• Safer recruitment and staff development
• Understanding of democracy – modelling within school as part of our rules
• Any prejudiced incident that takes place at WPA is seen as an opportunity to reflect, learn and make better choices next time.
• Many opportunities for parent communication, through email, welcoming school office, parent forum, parent surveys and end of day discussions.
• Publish equality Information – to demonstrate compliance with the general duty across its functions (We will not publish any information that can specifically identify any child)

We collect and analyse the following data to assess the impact of our Equality Policy. The data is recorded on our CPOMs system and the main areas we assess are: Admissions, Attendance, Exclusions, Racial incidents, Bullying incidents, Homophobic incidents and Any other prejudice related incidents

These books are read as class texts over the course of the year to encourage positive and guided discussion of the protected characteristics. At WPA, we strive to create an environment where children can share their opinions and ask questions.